Residents in Northshore are watching river levels after the heavy rains and flooding over the past week, and those cleaning up in the aftermath are wondering why the flooding is happening more often.

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Sonny Hudson is drying out his Independence home again after water rushed over Highway 40. It was a rare sight, he said, and something that used to happen about once a decade.

"Like this, twice in 30 years, and (there have already been two floods) in the last three months, so I don’t know what's going on down there," said Hudson. "(In) 1983, it flooded. (In) 1993, it flooded, and in 2003, it flooded. (It's) a 10-year cycle. But this last episode of a hurricane and then a flood is different."

Bogalusa state Sen. Ben Nevers puts part of the blame on hurricane debris dating back to Katrina that is still in waterways nearly eight years later, as well as the lack of money to clear it out.

"Much of it has to do with the debris that was blown down and new growth coming back, so it's much more difficult for drainage to take place," said Nevers. "Most of our agencies are broke or just barely getting by, so we don’t have the extra dollars to actually get out here and do some of the things we want to."

It's a little consolation for resident Lynn Moran, who watched as floodwaters, threatened his home Thursday.

"It comes up like a bathtub on this property, and it will make your heart stop," said Moran.

Parish officials are aware of the problem facing Moran and his neighbors, but they said doing anything about it could be a real challenge.

"It's a tough situation. They do have a drainage district in that particular area, but they are very underfunded," said Tangipahoa Parish President Gordon Burgess.

Burgess said the drainage board is working to address some of the problems, but it will take some time.